Parents Fight To Regain Custody of Homeschooled Son

Domenic Johansson was taken from his parents in 2009 because he was being homeschooled. (Photo: Facebook)Annie
and Christer Johannson haven't seen their son, Domenic, in nearly four
years. He was just seven when he was taken away from them at gunpoint in
June 2009. The family was on an airplane about to leave Sweden for
their new home in India, where Annie's family is from.

But the people who took him weren't kidnappers or terrorists -- they
were Swedish police officers operating under orders from social service
agencies. And social services ordered them to seize the boy—not to
prevent him from being physically or sexually abused—but for being
homeschooled. At least, that's the official reason they gave when they
grabbed him and hauled him off the plane.

Swedish officials say that homeschooling is unnecessary because the
country provides a "comprehensive and objective" education and restricts
religious instruction in school, The Washington Times reported. Permission to homeschool is supposed to be granted on a case-by-case basis, but exceptions to the law are rare.

“Since all teaching in Swedish schools is both comprehensive and
objective, there is no need for home schooling with reference to
religious or philosophical reasons, and this is why this is not an
option in the new Education Act,” Anna Neuman, press secretary for
Education Minister Jan Bjorklund, said in 2010.

But the ban was officially passed in 2010 and enacted in 2011—long after
police had taken Domenic away from his parents. The fact that the boy
was seized during summer vacation, when school was not in session, also
makes the case questionable.

According to the the Home School Legal Defense Association
(HSLDA), at first the Johannsons were allowed to visit their son every
two weeks. Then it was every five weeks. Then, in 2010, they were not
allowed to visit their child at all. In spite of testimony from friends,
family, and social workers that young Domenic was being properly cared
for by his parents, in 2012 the government opted to terminate their
parental rights and award custody of the boy to the state.

“How can anyone endure this kind of torture for so long, I don’t know," the Johansson's attorney, Ruby Harrold-Claesson, told HSLDA.
"It’s unbearable to see how the pride of government officials is
wrecking the lives of the Johanssons and others like them. These people
have broken the law by taking this boy without justification and keeping
him for three-and-a-half years. It’s uncivilized.”

“Sweden’s actions in this case are inexplicable,” said Michael Farris,
a human rights attorney and the chairman of HSLDA. “The taking of this
child for homeschooling and while the family was moving out of the
country is an egregious violation of basic human rights and
international law standards. Sweden is a party to numerous treaties that
require them to respect the rights of parents to make education
decisions and to leave the country if they choose. This is a dangerous
precedent if permitted to stand.”

The Johanssons have one last chance to regain custody of their son:
they're appealing to the Supreme Court of Sweden. HSLDA is organizing a
letter-writing campaign and urging homeschoolers around the world to ask
the court to reunite Domenic with his parents; they have set up a Facebook page for people to show support.

“The strain of the forced separation is inflicting unbearable pain
and pressure on the family who still live on the same island just miles
from where their son lives—yet they are not permitted to have any
contact with him whatsoever,” HSLDA said in a statement. Harrold-Claesson pointed out that any email or fax received by the court must be registered and made public.

You know, I just can't decide how I feel. No, they shouldn't have been breaking the law. Why didn't they just put him in school and THEN move out of county to homeschool? Seems like that would have been the easiest thing to do.

Quoting KickButtMama:

I, personally, don't think we should help people break the laws of their country. I think we'd be better off helping them change the laws rather than break them.

It is odd that they were given no other reason but that they were homeschooling and if it is true that both friends, family, AND social workers have spoke in their favor, I'm wondering if this wasn't the only mitigating factor... kind of.

Perhaps the law was previously written that it is neglectful (unlawful) to withhold education from your child and the way the law *was* written indicated (or specified) the types of education considered?

Quoting KickButtMama:

Oh boy, I totally missed that! Which makes me think there must be other mitigating factors besides HSing.

Quoting AutymsMommy:

While I wholeheartedly agree with you, in general, on this, what strikes me as odd is that the boy was taken BEFORE homeschooling was made illegal in Sweden.

Quoting KickButtMama:

I, personally, don't think we should help people break the laws of their country. I think we'd be better off helping them change the laws rather than break them.

They have many double standards that can be traced right to their extreme Christian fundamentalism. They will claim when people join that they accept everyone, but their track record proves otherwise. IE they have refused to represent cases that they would normally take if the member family doesn't fit their ideal Christian family mold.

Quoting KickButtMama:

I agree. I don't understand why they will throw down and be willing to fight for this family in Sweden when they wash their hands of a homeschooling American parent going through a divorce.

Quoting sha_lyn68:

Just another perfect example of why I hate HSLDA. They are supporting breaking the law once again.